Campaign against job losses in Local Poultry Sector

FAWU has convened several protect marches over the last year to reject the flooding of South African markets with cheap imported chicken from European Union countries which is leading to thousands of job losses in the local poultry industry. The union expects an increasingly negative impact on jobs since local poultry producer RCL Foods has already announced job cuts towards the end of 2016.

The union believes that discussions between labour, industry and government are vital to address the matter and prevent the total collapse of the industry and subsequent adverse socio-economic consequences that results from massive job losses such as those predicted.

FAWU strongly believes that the Department of Trade and Industry should enforce more protectionist measures such as raising tariffs on imported chicken to strengthen the efficiency and competitiveness of local poultry producers against EU countries who pay far less for feeds and is heavily subsidised by their respective governments. Government should heed the call of unions and poultry producers as thousands of jobs hang in the balance if the problem is not resolved soon.

FAWU and poultry producers has therefore joined hands by way of protest actions and ongoing campaigns to put more pressure on the DTI to address the job loss crisis as a result of cheaper imported chicken on retailers` shelves. The union also wants to raise awareness of the crisis in EU countries and has called on the EU embassy in Pretoria to recognize the industry` plight and work together to try and resolve the issue.